Musical instrument



I Re. 23,162

Oct. 25, 1949.

D. ZACCAGNINO MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Original Filed Aug; 11, 1943 JNV EN TOR.

DOMINKLK ZACCAGNINO FlG. 3

Reissued Oct. 25, 1949 OFFICE -'DriginalN0..;2;356,368, dated.August 22, 1944, .Se-

rialNo. 498,1"65,.August I1, 1943. Application forrcissue 'Augustfi,

*3iClaims.

"This invention relates to -musical instruments and re'fers particularly "to an amplifying rsystem fonaccor'dions.

"Accordions are ="comparatively heav-y iinstruments which are supported iby estraps ffrom tthe shoulders of the players, and .which require con- -"siderable physical force :'for their manipuiation. ?It 'was found i that 2 players 1 lacking r such physical force became-easily exhausted when playing the instrument, or were obliged to playlightinstruments having-za: comparatively poor tone.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an amplifying system for accordions which=makes it possible.for.the.player'cr his-assistant to vary at will the volume. andttoneof the sounds emanating from the accordion.

Another object is 'the provision of an accordion having an amplifying system by .'means rof whichrthe tone and volumelcf soundscof'the saccordionccan be quickly andieasily varied.

.;-A further object is to ;pr.ovide comparatively linexpensive; light accordions wwith'za sound iamplifying device, by means of which the volume and tone of such accordions may be amplified at will.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the followin specifications:

In accomplishing the objects of the present invention, it was found desirable to provide two elongated microphones and t place them within the accordions close to the base and treble sides thereof. The two microphones are connected to each other by a conducting wire, the coils of which are preferably located in the folds of the accordion. One of the microphones is connected with an amplifier control unit and loud speaker, which are located outside of the accordion. The accordion may carry knobs which may be conveniently operated by the player, which are connected to the microphones for varying volume and tone.

The invention will appear more clear from the following detailed description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing by Way of example a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of an accordion provided with built-in microphones.

Figure 2 is a top view of the accordion shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates diagrammatically the connection of the accordion with an amplifier control unit and a loud speaker.

The accordion 3 shown in the drawing is of 1946, 'SeriaPNo. 688,832

theusual form-and includes a treble side=provided-with the=keys l, as well as'the basesside having buttons 2. The casing 20 of the accordion,

whichis located adjacent the treble side, "con- 5 titutesthefixed part-of the instrument ;and:is 'provided'with the usual openings '?2l. At least -one bank of-reeds'is mountedo-n each sidepfthe iinstrument according to the conventional practice.

'The movablepart122 ofthe casing which carried the buttons Zandawhich constitutesathebase side, is connected with the casing 2.0 by the usual iexpandible andcontractible portion having the -folds.::23. .IThecillustrated accordion may be oft-any :standard make.

In accordance with the present invention, :the .casingiflof ztheaaccordion contains an elongated -microphone -:5 which extends preferably along practically the .height or length of the reed bank I (notshownl .of .thetreble sideof theaccordion. Thegmicrophoneifi is preferablylocated closerto the :openings :2! wof theacasing iii .and1is :so sarranged that it receives substantially uniformly all the sounds produced by the reed bank (not shown) upon operation of the keys I.

Anothermicrophone 6 which is similar in size and shape to the microphone 5 is located within the casing 22 at the base side of the instrument.

The microphone 6, which picks up th base notes or sounds produced by operation of the accordion is so disposed that it receives substantially uniformly all the sounds produced by the base side.

The microphones 5 and 6 ma be joined by a conducting wire 4, the coils of which fit in the folds 23, and which may extend when the folds 23 are extended. One end of the wire 4 is connected by a wire I to the microphone 5, while the other end of the wire 4 is connected by a wire 8 to the microphone 6.

The microphone 5 is connected with two knobs or control buttons 9 and III which are carried by the casing 20 and which may be conveniently used by the player to control the volume and the tone respectively.

The microphone 6 is connected in a. similar manner with control buttons II and I2.

The fixed casing 20 carries a socket 24, which is connected with the microphone 5 and is adapted to receive a plug I5 shown in Figure 3. The plug I5 is connected by a conducting wire [4 with an amplifying control unit I3. This unit is located outside of the accordion and may be connected by a plug IS with any suitable source of electrical energy. The unit 13 is connected with a loud Speaker 19 and is provided with control buttons 11 and I8 for varying the volume and tone of the sounds emanating from the loud speaker I9.

In operation the sound waves produced by operation of the accordion are picked up by the microphone 5 and 6 in which the are converted into audio electrical impulses. The audio electrical impulses are in turn transmitted through the extensible electric current conducting wire 4, connection or socket 24, conducting wire 14 to the amplifying unit l3 and loud speaker l9 where the amplified electric audio impulses are reconverted to sound waves.

It is apparent that the amplifying device makes it possible to increase the sounds of a comparatively small or weakly operated instrument to any and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In an accordion having at least one bank of reeds on each side, a pair of elongated microphones substantially corresponding in length to the length of the banks of reeds and mounted one in each side thereof, an extensible coiled Wire electric current conductor operatively interconnecting said microphones, a volume control unit operatively connected to each of said microphones, an amplifier control unit, a loud speaker, and means connecting said microphones, ampli- 4 fled control unit and loud speaker in audio electric current transmitting connection.

2. In'an accordion having two side sections each containing a reed bank, and a bellows connecting said sections, a pair of elongated microphones substantiall corresponding in length to the length of the reed bank and mounted within each of said sections and located to pick up audio waves produced by said reed banks, an extensible coiled electric current conducting wire connecting said microphones and extending through said bellows, and an amplifier unit and a loud speaker connected in electric-audio impulse transmitting connection with said microphones.

3. In an accordion having two side sections each containing a reed bank, and a bellows connecting said sections, a pair of elongated microphones substantially corresponding in length to the length of the reed bank and located to pick up audio waves produced by said reed banks, an extensible coiled electric current conducting wire connecting said microphones and extending through said bellows, an amplifier unit and a loud speaker connected in electric-audio impulse transmitting connection with said microphones, and means carried by each of said sections and connected to the microphone carried by the section for controlling the volume and tone qualities of the electrical audio impulse transmitted by the microphones.

DOMINICK ZACCAGNINO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,762,449 Marks June 10, 1930 2,001,392 Miessner May 14, 1935 2,093,223 Yamashita. Sept. 14, 1937 2,138,500 Miessner Nov. 29, 1938 

